Police have arrested three men in Tshwane streets in a week for possession of four unlicensed firearms.

Soshanguve, Laudium and Lyttelton police stations made the busts in three separate operations.

Soshanguve police arrested a 44-year-old man in possession of a pistol with a serial number filed off, ammunition and suspected drugs on Monday, February 27.

Soshanguve police spokesperson Constable Nhlanhla Zondi said the man was arrested in the early hours of Monday in Aubrey Matlala street in Soshanguve during a police roadblock.

He said the operation included various SAPS stations and was aimed at preventing crime by increasing police visibility and enforcing the law to ensure that law and order are maintained in the community.

“The police stopped a white BMW and found a pistol with a filed-off serial number, one magazine and ammunition as well as suspected drugs inside,” he said.

In Laudium, police arrested a 41-year-old man in possession of an unlicensed pistol and ammunition on Tuesday night, February 28.

Laudium SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Simon Chokoe said that police responded to information about domestic violence and firearm in the house.

“Upon searching the premises, one black and silver Norinco 9mm firearm, one magazine and eight live rounds were found, which the suspect couldn’t account for,” said Chokoe.

He said the firearm had been reported stolen from Tsomo SAPS in the Eastern Cape in 2022.

Station commander Lieutenant-Colonel David Sithole thanked his officers for their swift response to the gender-based violence report that led to the recovery of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well as the arrest of a suspect.

“We will continue with stop-and-search operations around communities to prevent crimes such as pointing of firearms, hijacking, house robberies, and business robberies to ensure that the communities are and feel safe,” said Chokoe.

In Lyttelton, police arrested a man in possession of two unlicensed firearms, a shotgun and a pistol, with ammunition, on Wednesday, March 1.

Lyttelton SAPS spokesperson Captain Dave Miller said the suspect had been under surveillance without going into detail.

“The team was able to locate the address in the Centurion CBD area and held observations on the property. Their efforts paid off when, towards the late afternoon, the suspect arrived and the team sprang into action and secured the premises and the occupants,” said Miller.

They found that the suspect had two unlicensed firearms, a shotgun with ammunition and a pistol with two magazines and ammunition.

Miller said that the suspect could not produce any documentation.

“The firearms will be sent to our ballistics investigation unit to establish if they can be linked to other crimes,” said Miller.

Police urged residents to work with their local police by reporting crime and suspicious to assist police keep the communities safe.

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